Ivan Erwich
Ivan Erwich was a Dawn Brigade separatist working for Vladimir Bierko during Day 5. Initially planted among the hostages held by co-separatist Anton Beresch, Erwich: smuggled canisters of Sentox nerve gas out of a hangar from the Ontario Airport; forced a civilian to help weaponize them; and, managed to discover the American deception behind the conspiracy. But, after gassing the Sunrise Hills Shopping Mall (where only eleven people were killed) without the permission of his boss, he was stabbed to death by a disapproving Bierko. Before Day 5 : View Ivan Erwich's profile at Character profiles. Erwich was a chemical engineer trained at the University of St. Petersburg. He joined his country's separatist movement six years before the events of Day 5. Erwich had a wife, who was in prison for supporting his cause. He also had a son, who lived in a state-run facility and has said that he doesn't remember what Ivan looks like. Day 5 Ivan Erwich was sent to Ontario Airport to retrieve a key card from a baggage handler named Chevensky. The key card would give Erwich access to 20 canisters of Sentox VX nerve gas that were buried under Hangar BB at the airport. Erwich was marked with a yellow-tie, so Anton Beresch would know who to hand the key card to. When Beresch and his men took over the Ontario Airport, Erwich pretended to be one of those hostages, to allow him to be close to Beresch. Beresch and his men threatened to kill someone every 15 minutes if President Charles Logan didn't call off the Anti-terrorism treaty signing with Russian President Yuri Suvarov. At one point, one of Beresch's men grabbed Erwich to be executed, but Beresch told him to pick someone else. Jack Bauer noticed that Erwich may have some value and then witnessed Beresch handing a key card to him. After CTU Los Angeles successfully performed a rescue operation at the airport, Erwich managed to slip away from the group of hostages and went to Hangar BB. There, he met with Komar, Andrei, and another terrorist who had already dig the hole revealing the nerve gas canister. They then used Chevensky's key card to open the sealed container and get the canisters of nerve gas out. James Nathanson called and told Erwich he would provide transportation. Erwich and his men were able to smuggle the canisters out of the airport by using a fake SWAT van. .]] Erwich and his men then met with middle-man Schaeffer, who had informed them of the location of the nerve gas. As Erwich's men transferred the canisters to a semi-truck, Schaeffer informed Erwich that the customs documents would be ready as soon as they reached port. Erwich then revealed to him his plan of using the nerve gas on Moscow as retaliation for their oppression at their homeland. Erwich and his men then drove off and headed to port. Erwich and his men took the canisters to the Port of Long Beach, planning to ship the canisters to Russia from there. At one point, he stumbled upon Schaeffer coming out of the container. When he asked what he was doing, Schaeffer told him he was making sure the canisters were secure. He then gave Erwich the detonators, the arming codes, and some custom papers. However, Erwich became suspicious and found out that Schaeffer had altered the arming codes, so that they wouldn't be able to detonate the canisters. He and his men tortured and killed Schaeffer after he confessed. Erwich then took out the canisters and headed out of the port. On his way out, he called Walt Cummings to threaten him for trying to double-cross the Russian separatists. Erwich warned Cummings that the US government would pay for the betrayal. .]] After stopping at a remote site to check the canisters, Andrei told Erwich that they had been tampered with and they needed to fix the triggering mechanism to activate them. Erwich assured him that Rossler would help them, but Andrei reminded him that their enemy was Russia, not the US. Erwich punched him and drew a gun on him, telling him that Americans had closed the ports and would be looking for them, so it would be impossible for them to leave. He then told him that if they couldn't use the gas against Russia, they would use it against America. At around 1:08, Erwich received a call from Rossler telling him he had been told by Sergei Voronov—a mutual friend—to get in touch. Rossler then told him he would help him with the trigger mechanism, but told Erwich he needed to find a way to cut into the canisters first to reveal an identification key. He would then program the chip they needed. .]] Erwich and his men drove to Los Angeles and pulled into a mechanic shop called Cal's Bikes. Erwich got out and asked Cal, the mechanic, if he had precision tools to cut into metal. When Cal told him he did, Erwich forced him at gunpoint to assist. He then ordered his men to get the canisters out. Rossler gave Erwich specific instructions on how to cut the canisters, and told him to call him back with all the identification keys. As Cal was cutting into them, he started asking questions. Erwich asked Cal if he had a family and Cal said he was married. Erwich said that his wife had been in prison for seven years for supporting his political efforts. Erwich also told Cal that his son lived in a state-run facility and didn't remember him. He then told Cal that what he was doing, he was doing it for justice. He then promised Cal to spare his life once he finished. At 1:56pm, Cal finished cutting the last canister. Erwich told him "Good job" and then shot him in the chest, killing him. As Andrei wrote the last identification key, Erwich told his men to clean up. He then called Rossler and sent him the identification keys. When Rossler told him they would need a place to meet, Erwich told him he would call him back in 5 minutes with a meeting place. At around 2:01pm, Erwich called Rossler again, not knowing that he had just been killed. Jack Bauer, posing as Rossler, answered the phone and Erwich told him to meet at a parking garage on White Oak and Madison. He then gave one of the nerve gas canisters to Polakov and Komar and instructed them to meet with Rossler. He stayed at the mechanic shop where Andrei told him he might be able to figure a way to detonate the canisters manually. Erwich told him to do it. At around 2:40pm, Polakov called Erwich and told him that the unlock code that "Rossler" had given them wasn't working. Erwich then told him that Andrei would help him to activate the canister manually. About 10 minutes later, Polakov called Erwich again, and told him that "Rossler" had betrayed them, killing Komar. Erwich asked him if he was being followed, and Polakov assured him he wasn't. Erwich then told him to return to the shop, but suspecting that he might've been followed, he ordered Andrei and the other terrorist to get ready to leave. After moving the canisters, they waited in a pick-up truck across the street. Erwich saw Polakov arrive at the shop, followed by CTU agents. Erwich called him and told him he was followed, and told him what to do. Polakov then killed himself, and Erwich and his men drove away. Erwich took the remaining 19 canisters to Dawn Brigade mastermind Vladimir Bierko at 12451 Saticoy Boulevard, where he informed him that the canisters were genuine. However, Bierko was furious at Erwich for wasting a canister on Americans, as he planned on releasing the gas in Moscow. Erwich justified himself by telling Bierko that they were betrayed, but he blamed Erwich in return for trusting the Americans, particularly Nathanson and Cummings. Bierko then pulled a knife and fatally stabbed Erwich. Later, his body was dragged out of the room by Bierko's men. Memorable quotes * Ivan Erwich: The Russians will learn the consequences of invading our homeland when we turn Moscow into a graveyard. * Ivan Erwich: I don't negotiate with my enemies, I eliminate them. Your country is about to pay a very steep price for betraying us. *'Cal:' Can't you tell me what this is all about? *'Erwich:' Do you have a family, Cal? *'Cal:' A wife. *'Erwich:' My wife is in prison. She's been there for seven years. Her only crime was to support me while I fought for my country. My son lives in a state-run facility. He does not even remember what I look like. You want to know what this is about? It's about justice. It's about ending tyranny. When you're finished, we will leave. *'Cal:' You won't hurt me? *'Erwich:' You're not my enemy. Your government is my enemy. * Vladimir Bierko: I spent a year securing a weapon that would bring Moscow to its knees and you waste it killing a handful of American civilians. * Ivan Erwich: We were betrayed, Bierko. Someone must pay. * Vladimir Bierko: I agree. (He stabs Erwich, then holds onto Erwich’s neck as he slowly dies.) Background information and notes * Howard Gordon stated that this character was named in honor of the fox executive Craig Erwich, who was involved in 24's production (source) * For his first appearance, Erwich was credited only as "Yellow Tie Man". Live appearances See also Category:Characters Category:Day 5 characters Category:Day 5 antagonists Category:Dawn Brigade Category:Deceased characters